Enjoy your Halloween Candy!

Yes, you read this title correctly, ENJOY your candy. We all know that Halloween candy is not the most nutritious thing to eat. However if you feel you deserve to indulge do so, but with candy you ENJOY. This means avoid eating candy you don't even like just to eat it because it is there. Go ahead and indulge in a treat of candy you love if you want, but STOP THERE! This may even mean donating extra candy or throwing it away (hate to be wasteful, but sometimes it is better to waste it in the trash than to add waste to your body). So ENJOY your favorite and move on!

Happy Halloween from Workout for Wellness!

Acorn Squash

What better time to warm up with some delicious winter squash? Acorn squash is a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and fiber, and 1 cup is only 60 calories. You can also snack the yummy seeds inside. It can be sauteed or even microwaved, but most commonly baked. Here's how:

Squash-

• Preheat Oven to 350° F
• Slice squash in half and scoop out seeds (set aside for roasting)
• Lightly coat flesh of squash with olive oil and put on a baking pan flesh down
• If desired, add garlic, cinnamon or salt/ pepper, but I honestly think it tastes great plain! 
• Cook for about an hour (depending on the size of squash)

Seeds-

• Turn oven down to 275° F 
• Pull any squash away from seeds 
• Mix seeds with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and a dash of salt
• Put aluminum foil or parchment paper on baking pan
• Bake for 15 minutes or until seeds begin to pop open

Food Day

Happy Food Day Everyone! Today is the nation's first annual Food Day. This grassroots effort was spearheaded by one of my favorite organizations, Center for Science in the Public Interest. The main goals of Food Day are to:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods.
2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness.
3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger.
4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms.
5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids.
6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers.

What will you do to recognize Food Day? Here are some simple ideas:

• Add one more fruit or veggie to today's menu. 
• Purchase an organic and/ or local food item.
• Donate a canned good to a food bank.
• Eat a vegetarian meal.
• Skip the chips! Offer children apple slices today instead.
• Sign this petition:

Eat Real America!

Time to Exercise

"You will never FIND time to exercise. If you want time you must MAKE IT."

Take Your Workout Outside!

With the great fall weather finally here, take advantage of it! Though my last post discussed some benefits of gyms, they aren't the only good place to workout. Grab a friend and some free weights then take your workout outdoors.

       

  

5 Things I like About Gyms

I often hear people say, "I don't do the whole gym thing," "I hate gyms," "I'm not a gym person," etc... However there are a lot of great things about gyms and here are my top 5:

1. Less Distraction: When working out at home there are a lot of distractions that can come up. For example that load of laundry that needs to get done, along with those dishes in the sink...get the point? When you are at the gym, you are there for one main reason...to workout! That being said, leave the I-Phone in the locker room.    

2. Motivation: It is motivating to see others workout. Some at your same fitness level, some at a different stage than you; either way you see it it is inspiring to workout with others. 

3. Tools: There are a variety of tools to make your workouts modified or more challenging. Don't get me wrong, great exercises can be performed at home, but the tools at the gym make this process a lot simpler. For example you won't need to go out and buy a new set of weights when yours gets too easy (if you are doing it right, they should get too easy). 

4.Safety: Lets face it, exercise can be dangerous. It is a lot safer to workout in front of others, including trained professionals who work at the gym, in case of an emergency. 

5. They're Cheap: There are tons of gyms that  now offer competitive rates such as $10 a month! Even a more expensive gym ($60 a month) is really only $2 a day, a whoooole lot cheaper at controlling/ preventing chronic diseases than buying medications to treat them down the line.

~See you at the gym, El

Get PUMPed for Breakfast

It's official, October is here, happy fall everyone! What better way to enjoy with some warm seasonal oatmeal. Oatmeal is a great source of soluble fiber which will help to reduce LDL cholesterol. Add in some pumpkin for another great source of fiber along with potassium, beta carotene and other antioxidants and voila you have one of the healthiest breakfasts on the block!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup prepared- Oats (groats, steel cut, rolled, or instant will all work- pick your favorite)
• 1/3 cup Canned Pumpkin 
• 3/4 tsp Vanilla Extract*
• 3/4 tsp Cinnamon*
•  Sprinkle of Nutmeg*
  

*Pumpkin pie spice may be used instead, this adds a different flavor with some cloves and ginger
 

Recipe: 

1. Prepare oats
2. Mix in pumpkin and spices
3. Enjoy!

To make creamier:

• Prepare with milk or add it in after

To make sweeter:

• Add some agave nectar, sugar or raisins